You didn’t notice the other car until it was inches away from yours. At that point, you couldn’t do anything. The next thing you know, you’re waking up in a hospital with an IV, casts and morphine drip. You were in a serious collision caused by a drunk driver.
In Tennessee, drunk driving causes around 26 percent of all traffic deaths. It results in 23,150 arrests yearly, as of 2016. For people like yourself, these statistics are far too close to home, since you could have lost your life in that crash.
Tennessee has taken steps to help reduce the risk of seeing drunk drivers on the roads. It has an all-offender ignition interlock law in place since 2013. This law and no-refusal enforcement acts have reduced the total drunk driving deaths in the state by 12 percent. Tennessee does recognize multiple DUIs as felonies, and it has dram shop laws that hold establishments liable for selling alcohol to minors or intoxicated parties.
How can dram shop laws help in your case?
If the driver had been at a bar or club prior to hitting you and video footage shows that the bartender continued to sell alcohol to the driver despite drunken behaviors, the club or bar could be held liable for the injuries you’ve suffered. These laws are in place to prevent people from getting so drunk that they’re a danger to others.
When you’re hurt by another person because of his or her recklessness, you have the right to pursue a claim. The right actions now can help you get the compensation you need.
Source: MADD, “Tennessee,” accessed July 13, 2017
